Dodge Ball Rules

The Team

A team must start with no more than 6 players and no more than three can be male. A team may start with as few as four players. Substitutions will be allowed only between games or in the case of an injury. A player may not play on more than one team in the same league. College baseball and softball players are considered varsity for dodge ball. This means that not more than three can be on any team and only two are eligible to play in any game. Varsity players are only eligible for A league.

The Game

The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them “OUT”. This may be done by:

Hitting an opposing player with a thrown ball below the shoulders

If the ball is thrown at shoulder level or below and the person squats down so the ball hits him/her in the head the person being hit is out.

Catching a ball thrown by your opponent before it touches the floor, wall or other permanent obstacle

If a player catches a live ball (one that has not hit the floor, wall or other permanent obstacle), the thrower is out and everyone hit by the thrown ball remains in.

Example: Player A throws a ball and hits his/her opponent, Player B. The ball bounces off of Player B and is caught by Player C. Because the ball is still live and caught, Player A is out and both Player B and Player C remain in the game.

If a ball is caught then a person from the receiving team may return to the game. They must return in the order that they were eliminated. Beginning with the first person out.

If a player drops a ball in order to catch a ball, that player is eliminated

A player may put a ball on the floor or hand it to a team mate if someone is not starting to throw at that person

The game will begin by placing the dodge balls along the center line. Players will take a position touching their respective back line.

The intramural supervisor will blow his/her whistle to start the game.

When the whistle is blown each team will sprint to the center line to retrieve the balls- only minimal contact will be allowed during the start of the game.

A player may pick up only one ball in the initial run to the center line.

Once the balls are retrieved from the center line, the player who picks up the ball must touch the respective back line before the ball may be thrown.

During the run to get the balls at the beginning of the game there will be no sliding or diving for balls at the center line. Players will be eliminated if they dive or slide and cross the center line with any part of their body.

The first team to eliminate all opposing player will be declared the winner.

A player may defend himself by using another dodge ball.

Balls are alive until they hit the floor, wall or other permanent obstacle such as the basketball goals

The winner of the best of seven games will win the match

If it is time for the next match to start the team that is ahead in games will be declared the winner

If the games are tied the winner will be the team with the most players on the court.

If there are the same number of players, the team to lose the next player will lose the match

Boundaries

The boundaries used for the game will be the basketball boundary lines on the side and the volleyball boundaries at the end

Each team must stay in their respective areas – behind the center line on their side of the court. In the initial run to the middle a player may cross the line if he/she is unable to stop.

Player out of bounds

If a player steps outside of the boundary for any reason except to retrieve a ball, that person is out.

A player may not break the middle plain with the ball while the ball is still in contact with the player. (Exception: is the initial retrieving of the ball to begin the game)

While outside of the boundary a player may be hit and eliminated but can not throw from out of bounds.

If a player catches a ball, while out of bounds, the thrower is not eliminated. It is as if the play never happened.

Rule Enforcement

Rules will be enforced primarily by the “Honor System”. Players will be expected to rule whether or not a hit was good and whether they were legally eliminated.

All contests will be supervised by an Intramural Supervisor. The supervisor will make any calls that he or she is able to see. The supervisor’s will also rule on any situation in which teams cannot agree. The Supervisor’s decisions are FINAL and should not be questioned.

Infractions of the Rules Procedures

One warning will be issued for unsportsmanlike play or inappropriate language to the team as a whole. Language may be deemed inappropriate no matter if it is directed toward the opposing team, the official or no one in particular.

Upon a second incident by any player on that team the player will be removed from that game.

If a player has another incident he/she will be removed for the night and must report to the director of recreational sports before he/she will be eligible to play again.

All players that are not in the game must sit along the block walls and are not allowed to interfere with the dodge balls.

Two poor evaluations for sportsmanship by the refs and the Rec Sports Workers will disqualify a team from the league. Two unsatisfactory equal one poor.